Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
AT WASHINGTON BARRACKS.
How Arti'lcryn,en Pass their Days IN
Comfort at the Old Arsenal.

How Arti,icrynen Pass their Days i'm
Comfort at the Old Arsenal.
4
| sEErcH OF THE KEsERv ATIoS-wHERE THE MEN ARE
| ouARrKREp-BIG GUNS RESTING IN snESCE-vBrr
TO THE RIFLE RASGE-yKws OF AN OLD SER
| GEANT.
-Four great guns peacefully planted with their
muzes TO the sky, guard the gateway at the
Washington barracks, familiary called the Arse
nal at the foot OF Az street. sentinei PAGES
back and forth with a solemn air, and the picket
fence around the hospital. capped with fringe OF
rusty bayonets, gives the entrance martial ap-
pearance The porch OF the hospital Is occupied
| by pale men, who are out for an hour to breathe
the fresh air. on 10 the right stands in sullen 81
| lence a mammoth gun mounted high on its car
rage a twenty incher, the guard says This
| has never been fired since 1t broke the windows
for squares around some years ago: and so IL
for sailors. straight ahead extends neat ROAD,
with trees and walks on either side. To the right
| Is the river, to the left the sluggish canal The
whole scene, after leaving the gate, presents a
peaceful picture, foreign 10 the business OF the
men whose homes are there.
| The I'd regiment OF artillery, commanded by Col.
Horato c. Gibson Is now stationed at the barracks,
with about $50 men all told They are divided into
six batteries OF which one Is slight and the other
'heayy" artillery. Their implements OF warfare
| do not appear until one has passed, as Old
a STAB reporter the other day, the long
houses the residences OF the conmandant
and the major. when the quadrangle" Is
mentioned on the north, the barracks and offices
on the east, and the officers quarters on the south,
while the river Is the western limit. Great trees
have reared their limbs upwards for years and,
| though now they look desolate and bare, in the
summer time the quadrangle Is mass OF green
bit Of Striped bunting hanging iaziiy from the top
A small, low building at the northeast corner Is
used as the guard house, and sentry Is always on
| Two tiny brass mortars poised def1antly on the
porch. The long line Of buildings below contains
the barracks the library the recreation man, anG
| few Of them and quite number OF periodicals and
newspapers. In one corner stands great wooden
beam, resting at an angle against the wall. This,
gallows on which Mrs Surratt and her fellow con-
spirators were hanged: 1t Is cracked and worm
eaten, and In places shows signs OF the Vandal.
ism OF the relic hunter. According to the pacard
this beam was buried, after the war, under pile
pose Of hiding iI from curiosity seekers. After a
| number OF years in 1882 perhaps, 1t was brought
| to light again and recognized by an omcer who
was on duty at the post at the time OF the execu-
| ton.
THE SOLDIERS QUARTERS
are on the second floor OF the large building south
of the library. Broad stairways lead to q wide
corridor, with a line OF hooks on the walls, on
| the hall Is the company mess-room. furnished
with wide wooden tables and long benches sup
per Is being prepared, and q Savory smell Of beef
and coffee and bread comes up from below. Across
| the hail are the sleeping rooms, with neat white
cots ranged around the walls. Everything Is q
blaze OF cleanliness.
Behind the barracks are seen the first tools OF
war In the shape OF eight great white low objects
that excite curiosity; on lifting the canvas cover
they are 9and 70 oe tne guns ana n Of
queer-loOktng wagons loaded with poles and
| geared with cog-wheels These, passing soldier
says, are the wagons belonging TO the Government
|
nal Corps. When the post at Fort Myer was aban-
doned as school for the signal Corps, these wag-
OnS were stored in one OF the buildings there, but
had TO be moved at the time OF the arrival OF the
| cavalry. SO they have been rolled over to the
Barracks, 10 await Congressional condemnation.
| Right ahead, In the direction OF the Eastern
| Branch, Is
| THE RIFLE RANGE,
| a muddy space, tracked by wagon wheels and q
labyrinth OF footprints. 1t is guarded by a strong
fence, and signs OF Dangerous abound. The tar
| gets are numbered from TO with large white
/ figures and resemble fort. on going near them
The STAR reporter was stopped by shout from
some unseen individual behind number 2. Oh
course he did not stop, but continued on his way.
| On arriving at the spot from W lence the sound
| came he met muddy hgure-a soldier with small
was e ons enough
| the guard that the targets are maze OF paper and
are run along on track. man stands behind an
| iron plate backed by heavy beams, and signals
the result OF each shot by means OF Tags Then
the scribe Obeyed orders and left the man and the
dog together. The stables are on the river front,
| within Is feet OF the water. Here are kept the
horses OF the regiment nifty -four In number ThelI
names are paintet above their heads and exhibit Q
sss sSalas and an
escorted the reporter along the lines OF hOfsenesh
CONSIDERABLY pointing out the favorttes: From
when a man Is on duty or not was TO look at him.
'If he's got belt on, he said "then he's on duty
and II he amt goo no belt on, why, then, he amt
soldiers waist before be Qu1zzod him.
THE sER8EANr TALKS.
In front OF one OF the barracks he found first
sergeant smoking pipe. He was disposed to be
/ communicative and before long the scribe knew
all about guns and drills, and Indians and other
martial topics. "Yes, said the sergeant, slowly
putting, 'this is very pleasant place to be posted
| at; but the chills Is bad, and the fever They
comes from the Hats there ON that side, and the
canal on this, and then the worst Of all Is soap
4 factory over on Buzzard's Point that makes us
wish we was over at Arlington, sometimes, when
| the wind comes from the east. But We couldn't
have no better place than this; handy TO the CITY,
where you can get your moneys worth, and pleas
ant In every way. We drill once day, II the
weathers good, with our guns down there In the
field by the magazine ind eating that part OF the
grounds near the entrance, TO the left OF the road
Then we have target shooting often, with small
gets sewed on theil collars are the 'marksmen.
They've got the best records. Last summer we
lot OF floating barrels down in the river beyond
the flats, but the boats they complained that Ii
was getting too warm for such business, and so
| they stopped"
Just then bugle sounded some distance up the
quadrangle, followed In q couple OF minutes by a
! second blast near at hand. "Thats the warning
call before retreat, the sergeant explained IRE
treat sounds at shutdown and then we have to fall
In" The sun was painting the sky with gorgeous
tints and casting yellow light over the buildings.
Three bugiers stood at the foot Of the ag-stan,
private held the lines, ready TO haul down the
c0lors at the signal, while ofdcer scanned the
| west. Another blast OF the bugles came; the
loungng men fell into squads, each In front OF the
FASTENED TO align his men and TO call the roll lie
| read thirty names or more, but there were only
| ten who answered Here" The rest were Oh
| ION pass" When the roll was called the ordrr
| "parade rest" was given, and the line waited
pate ntly for the sun 70 SET
| away. turned suddenly TO the buglers who at
once sent out ringing call for retreat, and the
| nag n0ated TO the ground. The SerReantS In
charge OF the squads faced about and shouted out
In succession AN present, or accounted for" As
soon rs the Ofcer had received all of the reports
| the squads melted like snow before the sun, and
the walk in front OF the line OF barracks alive
with moving figures, eager TO get In TO supper.
IMPLEMENTS OF WAR.
The reporter walked over to the river-front,
where the larger part Of the guns stand. Here are
four large guns, and two long rifles, siege guns.
| Three immense mortars larger than a bushel
| basket, loll on the ground waiting TO be mounted
some day, and q little farther on are seven small
brass ones pointed for Smelling the fort across the
| river. A brass h0witzer stands near the rifles
and up 10 q short time ago was daily fired twice.
al the rising and setting OF the sun. This gun has
a lCssE IN ali fnntav